Wednesday, April 05, 2017

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is an award-winning 1931 film, yet another based on the 1886 story The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. You can read the book online at numerous sites.

This film stars Fredric March.


The NYT review from 1932 is positive. The Guardian calls it "A classic, not to be missed." Moria and 1,000 Misspent Hours have positive reviews.

FilmReference.com opens by saying this film
is perhaps the most stylish and technically innovative of any of the several versions of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic novel, for Mamoulian integrated both the new and established film technologies into his individual filmmaking style. Dissolves, superimpositions, camera movements, and expressionistic lighting are synthesized into his vision of the struggle within man, which is the heart of Stevenson's tale.
HorrorNews.net says this is "usually considered the best version". DVD Journal says it "has aged quite well". Horrorpedia notes that "March’s performance has been much lauded, and earned him his first Academy Award".

Classic-Horror.com says,
One of the most sophisticated and frightening films in 1930s cinema, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde explicitly explores sexuality and repression in ways that most films of the era merely hinted at or disguised in allegory. Using the characters of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to graphically express these themes, Mamoulian creates a very frightening and complex film for its day.

Rotten Tomatoes has a 93% critics score.

2 comments:

  1. From the reviews, this sounds like a movie that would be appropriate even today. Thanks for the review.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, this has aged well and is definitely worth watching.

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